Back in June, a group of staff rescued a peregrine falcon found injured on University Park.

From their rooftop vantage point, staff in an office atop the Coates Building often watch a pair of peregrine falcons nesting on campus. One day, there was a lot of noise and the female was seen to be highly distressed. Avid bird watcher and RSPB volunteer Theresa Morley, soon noticed the male peregrine lying injured nearby.

The rescued male peregrine falcon

With help from colleagues Sally Hanford, Alvaro Roberts and John Horton, the raptor was captured and taken to Brinsley Animal Rescue. There, vet George – a UoN graduate – diagnosed a fractured leg. The injury was close to the joint, preventing it from being pinned. But, as the bones were aligned, chances were high they would naturally fuse back together correctly.

The raptor was transferred to an RSPCA rescue centre in Swindon with a specialist avian surgeon. No operating was needed but plenty of rest, monitoring and physio followed. Two months and a four-hour car journey later and the peregrine has now been successfully released back onto University Park, much to the delight of his mate. Peregrines mate for life and use the same nest sites year on year.

Those involved in the rescue and rerelease. From left to right: Sally Hanford, Jon from Brinsley, Emily from RSPCA, John Horton and Theresa Morley.

Arguably the fastest animal in the world, the peregrine falcon is making a comeback in the UK after years of persecution. Whilst traditionally nesting on cliff edges, they can how be found atop tall buildings and are often actively encouraged to keep pigeon numbers under control. There is at least this one breeding pair on University Park and they can often be seen and heard on the tower, chimney and other tall building around campus.

Brinsley Animal Rescue is a Nottingham charity run by volunteers and funded by donations. All money raised goes directly into helping animals.

At Brinsley Animal Rescue he wasn’t too happy being examined

Thank you to all the staff involved in the rescue, those at UoN and the animal rescue centres. Theresa and Sally, who have both since left the university, returned to watch the release.

Find out more about the wildlife on our campuses.

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Dilan and Sadie, current UoN Geography students, recently spent three-weeks on placement with the university Sustainability Team working as environmental assistants. These placements were part of the Faculty of Social Science Widening Participation programme. Here they tell us about their experiences.

Dilan Boora – 1st year Geography student

I was focusing on a project to critically evaluate scope 3 data at UoN, and understand the challenges of monitoring and reporting them. I have gained a deep understanding of why scope 3 emissions (indirect greenhouse gas emissions from things like procurement, food and travel) are often underreported. This is due to their complexity, data fragmentation, and lack of ownership. I explored how frameworks can guide universities toward more accurate and transparent reporting and researched how institutions, like Edinburgh and Oxford, are utilising live dashboards, supplier engagement strategies, and carbon literacy training models. I assessed the quality and completeness of UoN’s Scope 3 data using a structured Excel model. This created a clearer picture of where we are, where we fall short, and what tangible steps we can take to catch up.

This internship helped shape my understanding of real-world sustainability work. Whilst I’m still exploring where I want to take my career, this experience gave me a clearer sense of direction. Most of all, it showed me the power of collaboration and critical thinking in tackling long-standing challenges, which is something I’ll carry with me into whatever path I choose next.

Learning from the team

I had the chance to learn from knowledgeable staff across the Estates and Sustainability teams, whose insights and shared expertise shaped my experience more than anything else.

• Matilda, the Regional Hub Manager, introduced me to wider opportunities with the Climate Ambassadors programme. I learned how students like me can promote carbon literacy and raise sustainability awareness in local communities, which inspired me to get involved more actively around campus.
• Alison, Senior Environment Officer, shared biodiversity initiatives with me, including the Wilding Campuses project. I accompanied her to run a sustainability-themed game with students, an engaging way to start conversations about environmental responsibility. Her creativity and commitment to involving students in sustainability left a big impression on me.
• Gavin, Head of Sustainability and my manager, played a central role in guiding my learning. He challenged me to think critically and supported my development at every stage.
• I learned from James, a BMS Control Engineer, who introduced me to a Net Zero Calculator, a powerful tool for measuring Scope 3 emissions more accurately.
• Mariana and Martin, Energy and Carbon Managers gave me insight into how technical emissions tracking can be translated into strategic action.

Summary

What stood out most was the dedication of a small, hardworking team tackling a complex issue. With limited resources, the team continues to push for meaningful change, showing that despite challenging times, impact is still possible.

Sadie Lewis Obosi – 2^nd Year Geography student

I evaluated UoN’s sustainability performance reporting framework. I researched other organisations and benchmarked the university against other Russel Group universities to identify potential improvements.

Visit to Nottingham College City Hub with the Wilding Campuses Project

I also conducted research on different reporting standards such as the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). This composes of eight standards such as ‘accuracy’ and ‘balance’ that need to be included in reports that are aiming to be GRI certified. Although not mandatory, I believe it would be beneficial for UoN to incorporate more of these standards into their reports. Balance is especially important as clear and reliable reports build trust with investors and other stakeholders, who hold the ability to have an impact on an organisations progress towards their targets. It was interesting to learn that some organisations may present their data in a biased way with the intention of influencing the opinions of stakeholders.

Additional tasks I undertook:

• Attended meetings to discuss daily targets and progress.
• Attended a meeting with the procurement team that addressed the issues surrounding Scope 3 emissions reporting, and the challenges to obtaining data from suppliers and operators further down the supply chain.
• Attended a ‘Wilding Campuses’ event at Nottingham College City Hub. This day composed of improving the college’s already established wildflower beds, and taking part in nature-related workshops.
• Showcased my findings in an insightful presentation and report at the end of the placement.

I also got an insight into the array of roles that exist within sustainability. This experience helped me to develop my self-motivating, presenting, report writing, analysis, and communication skills.

This placement was a part of the Widening Participation programme, which encourages people from underrepresented backgrounds to participate in opportunities that can help to improve social mobility. I recommend anyone to take part in the placement opportunities that the university has to offer as they will undeniably help to make you stand out in an already competitive job market.

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In April 2025, the University of Nottingham held its annual Teaching and Learning Conference, this year with a focus on: The Future of Education for Sustainable Development: Engaging Students and Empowering Educators. The conference highlighted the critical role of education in addressing global environmental and social challenges, empowering students and educators alike to lead in a sustainable and innovative future.

Conference Keynote: Education for sustainability: the stories we live by approach

In the keynote talk, Arran Stibbe Professor of Ecological Linguistics at the University of Gloucestershire, argued that the changes required to build a sustainable society are so large that they require systemic transformation. This is change at the level of the stories we tell ourselves about the purpose of the economy, about the value of the natural world, about what it means to be human. In educational terms, this means:

1. engaging students in reflection to develop their own values framework which they use to judge whether stories are destructive or beneficial,
2. helping them gain critical awareness of the stories that underpin the unequal and unsustainable society around them, and
3. developing the ability to search for new stories to live by that can bring a very different future into being.

The session can be watched here. Read more about this engaging and inspiring talk in this blog.

Panel Discussion: Education for Sustainable Development

Mike Clifford, Associate Professor, Mechanical Materials and Manufacturing Engineering

On Wednesday 16 April, as part of the University of Nottingham’s annual Teaching and Learning Conference, I had the privilege to chair an online panel discussion on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) with a panel of experts. Our panel included:

• Arran Stibbe, Professor of Ecological Linguistics at the University of Gloucestershire,
• Subarna Sivapalan, Associate Professor of Education and Associate Dean, Research and Knowledge Exchange, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, University of Nottingham Malaysia (UNM),
• Muhammad Ali, University of Nottingham Director of Environmental Sustainability,
• Chris Ives, University of Nottingham Associate Professor in Geography, and
• Stuti Dave, a University of Nottingham Student of MSc Environmental Leadership & Management.

Over 100 members of the University of Nottingham attended the discussion, including colleagues from the China and Malaysia campuses. Our discussion was framed around three themes:

• Reimagining Curriculum,
• Culture Shift and Overcoming Barriers, and Partnerships,
• Innovation & Integrity.

The panellists shared their stories and experiences from their individual contexts to produce an almost united response to the pressing issue of how to increase the profile of ESD at Nottingham and beyond. A recording of the session is available here.

The final question to the panel was, “If you could change one thing tomorrow to advance ESD at your institution, what would it be — and why?”. I’ll summarise the panel’s answers and I’ll leave it to you to guess who said what.

• Embed ESD into every course validation and review process.
• Establish a unit or a centre, a space for sustainability, to support and equip academics to embed sustainability in their teaching.
• Develop a Tri campus ESD Research Centre.
• Replace degree programmes with just one course, “Towards the flourishing of life now and into the future.”
• Foster greater collaboration between students of different faculties that are interested in sustainability.

My overall reflection on the session was of the passion and shared vision that emerged – despite all the obstacles and frustration that we face in terms of administrative burdens, entrenched attitudes in some colleagues, and a general resistance to change, all typical of large institutions.

There is so much good work on sustainability going on at the university (and beyond), but sometimes we are not very good at communicating and sharing what is happening. It’s often said that sustainability is everyone’s responsibility, which is great, but the downside is that we can be tempted to leave it to other people to get on with it without playing our part and without finding out what is going on. Let’s hope that Sustainability Action Week is a catalyst to enhance our storytelling, our listening and our learning.

Start your sustainable journey by adding your environmental pledge to the virtual ‘pledge for the planet’ wall.

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Professor Sarah Metcalfe is Deputy Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research and Knowledge Exchange at the University of Nottingham.

We’re proud to be recognised among the world’s top higher education institutions for our efforts in environmental sustainability, being placed in the Top 200 in the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings 2024. These global rankings evaluate more than 2,000 universities from 125 countries based on their performance against the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals, which set out a blueprint for creating a more sustainable future.

PVC Professor Sarah Metcalfe

Delivering sustainable development across the world is more than a goal for our university – it is inherent in our core values. We are a global university, with campuses in the UK, China and Malaysia, which work collaboratively with a wide range of partners to deliver solutions to complex challenges that will transform lives and achieve a sustainable future.

We produce an annual report that gives a snapshot to achieve this aspiration, through our research, and across our education, engagement and outreach, and operations and policies. In short, sustainability is at the heart of all we do. A new report for 2023/24 is currently being compiled.

Achieving a sustainable and fairer future is a tough challenge. We recognise that achieving sustainable development must address income disparity and health inequalities. We must ensure that the transition to green energy and carbon-neutral economies is fair and equitable and we must be mindful that building resilience to climate change is most critical in marginalised and disadvantaged communities.

Our researchers form partnerships that give our innovations real impact, changing lives in communities on the doorsteps of our campuses and across the world. In the UK, we are working with industry to establish a . Our innovators at the University of Nottingham Malaysia are providing ASEAN economies with the tools and data to navigate towards net zero. In China, collaborations with the petrochemical sector will help decarbonise manufacturing industry and partnerships with local enterprises are promoting responsible business practices, a culture of sustainability and green innovation.

Find out more

Towards a  fairer world 2022/23 report

Website: The University of Nottingham and Sustainable Development Goals

The GSK Carbon Neutral Laboratory

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Dr Subarna Sivapalan, Associate Dean, Research and Knowledge Exchange

Co-Chair, UNESCO Chair in International Education and Development

The University of Nottingham Malaysia (UNM) has demonstrated a sustained commitment to education for sustainable development, aligning its initiatives with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the University of Nottingham sustainability agenda. Sustainability and education for sustainable development is an integral aspect of teaching and learning at the university at all programme levels.

UoN Malaysia

‘Teachers stand at the forefront of localized change, introducing students to the knowledge, skills, values and abilities to act sustainably, live together peacefully and build a more just society.’ (UNESCO, 2021)

Embedding sustainability into teaching and learning

The School of Education at the Malaysia campus has also been at the forefront of embedding sustainability into its academic programmes and research. From the perspective of research, the School’s Sustainability and Transformational Education Research Cluster (STERC) exemplifies this effort by focusing on research areas such as Education for Sustainability and Inclusivity, STREAM and Digitalisation, and Language Learning Sciences. These initiatives aim to contribute to SDGs 4 (Quality Education), 10 (Reduced Inequalities), 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), 13 (Climate Action), and 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).

Since 2022, the school has been running sustainability centred annual Education Showcases that serve as a platform for students to showcase projects that address sustainability challenges. Within the formal curriculum, since the 22/23 academic year, at least four UG modules (Technology Enhanced Language Learning (TELL), Education and Society, Teaching Reading and Writing, Literature in the Language Classroom), selected Year 3 FYP projects, and a PGT module (Critical Perspectives in Curriculum and Pedagogy) consciously embed SDGs within its content and assessments, supporting sustainability aligned curriculum innovations at module and programme levels.

“Thanks to TELL, I’ve learned how to navigate UNESCO reports and seen you as a real-life example of incorporating SDGs into teaching without making it overwhelming. And those SDGs discussions? They’ve made me see that these aren’t just trendy words but real issues we need to tackle. I aspire to bring that same energy into my future classroom, making SDGs real, digestible and actionable for my students.” (Year 2 student)

Partnering with students

From the perspective of student experience and innovation in teaching and learning, the School of Education has also been successfully running the EDU22, a student-led initiative which advances access to quality and inclusive education through experiential learning. The SDGs focused EDU22 flagship initiative Project ASLI is co-designed by students and staff with indigenous communities, national and state government agencies and NGOs to support real-world and interdisciplinary learning beyond the formal curriculum. EDU22 empowers students and staff to co-create social impact educational programmes with underserved communities to inspire community learning.

“Through A.S.L.I Project, I gained first-hand knowledge of the SDGs and learned how to seamlessly incorporate them into our initiatives. Inspired by my exposure to the SDGs during the A.S.L.I. Project, we made a conscious effort to embed the goals into every aspect of the showcase” (Year 3 Student).

A new ‘Sustainability: Global and Local Perspectives’ module

Beginning September 2025, the institution is looking forward to offering a core sustainability module Sustainability: Global and Local Perspectives within the Foundation Programme. The module, which is convened by the School of Education and the School of Environmental and Geographical Sciences, emphasises an interdisciplinary approach to sustainability and will be delivered by academic colleagues across our Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences and the Faculty of Engineering and Sciences, with guest sessions by industry, NGO and CSO partners. The module is well aligned with Agenda 2030, global and local sustainability issues and conforms to the Malaysian Qualification Agency’s standards that call for the incorporation of education for sustainable development to equip learners with the competencies to tackle these issues effectively and responsibly.

To celebrate the launch of this module, and in conjunction with Sustainability Action Week, join a  Continuing Professional Development session focused on Embedding Sustainability in Learning in Partnership with Students. The session will be facilitated by Students Organising for Sustainability United Kingdom.

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Christopher Ives, Associate Professor, School of Geography

Over the past few years I’ve had countless conversations with colleagues about sustainability. Many people are concerned about increasingly acute global challenges like climate change, biodiversity loss, socio-economic inequalities, and pressures on health and wellbeing in our towns and cities. Yet often they are unsure about how these intersect with the topics they focus on in their classrooms. Others have relayed the passion many students have for sustainability or students’ understandable anxieties related to possible destabilisation of the earth’s life support systems. Others are aware that the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) are central to the university’s mission but feel overwhelmed by the prospect of adding more boxes to tick alongside their already full teaching workloads. It was in these contexts that a team of us undertook a project to explore how sustainability could become more central to teaching and learning here at UoN, and how as a community we could accelerate and amplify best practice that already exists across our UK campuses.

The toolkit on Sharepoint

One of the key outputs from the project was the Education for Sustainable Development Staff Toolkit. This toolkit is a freely-accessible resource for UoN colleagues and has been designed for people involved in teaching at all levels and across all Schools and Faculties to understand the fundamentals of sustainability and to explore how to embed this into their own teaching practice. It approaches sustainability not in a prescriptive way, but instead allows freedom for users to interact with themes, concepts, methods and approaches in ways that are authentic to their own pedagogical strengths and interests. It’s also a space to share experiences and ideas with the wider university community.

The first section of the toolkit introduces the concept of “Education for Sustainable Development” (ESD). While there are different terms and definitions, UNESCO characterises ESD as giving learners of all ages the “knowledge, skills, values and agency to address interconnected global challenges including climate change, loss of biodiversity, unsustainable use of resources, and inequality”. While the 17 SDG’s can be considered the desired outcomes we are collectively aiming for, ESD focuses on how we can develop the competencies required to get there. These competencies cover multiple domains of knowledge, skills, values and action and are relevant to all different disciplines.

Resources within the toolkit

The toolkit also provides links to resources that are useful for educators thinking about how to embed ESD within their teaching practice.

One particularly useful resource is the guidance developed by Advance HE and QAA, which covers how to translate sustainability competencies (such as critical thinking, collaboration, problem solving and self-awareness) into course and module learning outcomes. Links to relevant subject benchmarks are also included, to help module and programme-leaders to connect sustainability to the focal areas of their disciplines.

How to start embedding ESD

Another section of the toolkit provides a step-by-step guide to help educators think about key elements of designing and embedding ESD within their practice. This guide has been developed while fully acknowledging the barriers that often exist such as a lack of time and resources, or an already crowded curriculum.

1. The first step is to find like-minded people! To help with this, we have established a ‘community of practice’, which can be joined by anyone who is interested.
2. The second step is to understand and map what your current teaching practice already supports in terms of sustainability.
3. The third step is to think about your graduates and what kinds of knowledge, skills and competencies they need to take with them into their future endeavours.
4. The fourth step is to consider your learning environment and explore the best contexts for developing these skills. It could, for example, include using the campus as an outdoor classroom or developing new community-based learning experiences.
5. Fifth, consider the kinds of pedagogies (teaching philosophies) that cultivate the knowledge, skills and competencies. It could include less traditional approaches such as problem-based learning, role play, reflection or debate.
6. The sixth step is to design assessment tasks that are meaningful and resonate with relevant ESD frameworks.
7. The final step is to take action! It’s best to begin somewhere and experiment with changes that are achievable. Learning from these and sharing insights with others is vital to moving towards having sustainability infused in teaching across the University.

Best practice case studies

Finally, the toolkit offers a growing repository of ‘best practice’ from across the University. There is already much going on across the university in the field of sustainable education and it’s important that we can learn from and be inspired by our colleagues from across all campuses. If you have experimented with embedding sustainability into your teaching or working with a pedagogical approach to develop key skills and competencies, you can submit a short ‘case study’, which will be made available to others. There is also a compilation of helpful tools and resources that can be used when designing teaching for sustainability.

This toolkit is just one step towards embedding sustainability in Nottingham’s culture of teaching and learning. With sustainability embedded into the university’s goals it is important that education is recognised as a core pillar alongside our research activities and management of our estate and operations. At an increasingly turbulent and dynamic time both within the UK and globally, it is vital to ensure we are equipping our graduates with the qualities they need to help create a flourishing and resilient future for both people and the planet.

The toolkit can be found here – UoN logon needed.

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The University of Nottingham Campus is expansive and strikingly ‘rural’ in spite of being so close to the bustling City of Nottingham. When I first started visiting the university, I was immediately drawn to the various routes—the greener the better—to different facilities and offices. Let’s take the longest route, I would say to whoever accompanied me. Now I’ve become more confident finding my way around, I will add on extra time for exploring a new pathway back to my hotel.

Chancellor Baroness Lola Young

During the late 1970s I lived and worked in Nottingham. I’d barely been outside my patch of north London before that. My knowledge of the area was based on the tv series Robin Hood and I was shocked to find that Sherwood Forest actually existed! My happiest times in theatre were at Nottingham Playhouse, due in large part to learning how to ride. Outings on horseback through the forest, and boating on the lake greatly contributed to my good memories of that time, which was otherwise quite difficult.

Sherwood Forest, Nottinghamshire

Living in London I’m hugely appreciative of the parks, woods and rivers that run through the city. Even those of us who love urban living need a break from the concrete, steel and glass which surrounds us every so often.

Finsbury Park, London

Recently during a stressful week or so, I literally ran away from a friend, telling her I had to go walk and around the lake at our local park. The steady rumble of buses and cars can still be heard trundling along Seven Sisters’ Road, yet these fade into the distance once I stepped through the gated entry to the park. There’s also a ’secret’ path along a former railway line that in its longest form provides a leafy walk through ancient woods, where in the summer months, trees block the visual and aural clues of the urban setting. Birdsong rules!

There’s plenty of research evidencing the health benefits of what we call nature. So all this is to say that we neglect these very different settings at our peril. We may not even notice the impact on our sense of well-being at anything other than vaguely feeling a bit better after a walk or gazing at a lake, a river or a forest.  But the sensory relief from the modern, pressured world, and entry into a differently ordered, greener setting is essential for our physical and mental well-being.

Baroness Lola Young is Chancellor of the University of Nottingham, and author of Eight Weeks: Looking Back, Moving Forwards, Defying the Odds, pub Penguin: Fig Tree, 2024’

Find out about all the events and activities happening as part of Sustainability Action Week 2025. There are several nature and wellbeing events as well as tours, online talks, and much more. 

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What is the Climate Ambassadors scheme?

The Climate Ambassadors scheme is an initiative funded by the Department for Education with the aim of helping all education settings make and implement a Climate Action Plan. It is delivered by a national consortium led by the University of Reading and EAUC. In the East Midlands, the Universities for Nottingham partnership acts as the regional hub, offering tailored support to schools and colleges across Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, and Rutland.

How’s it going?

Pupil voice at NottAlone 2025: How can we fight climate change?

Since launching in 2022, the programme has trained over 1,000 Climate Ambassadors who have worked with more than 1,600 schools – that’s around 1 in every 15 education settings in England. In the East Midlands, the Climate Ambassador network is over 120 strong, supporting over 250 settings.

The scheme has been present at many regional events, engaging with young people to share their ideas on climate action. Pupils shared how climate change makes them feel and what we can do as a community to take action.

What is it like to be a Climate Ambassador?

Many of our university colleagues, both staff and students, have trained to share their skills and passions with local education settings. This includes a group of students from UoN and NTU who are actively supporting primary schools in Nottingham City to create impactful climate action plans and work with young people to inspire them in climate action.

Heather Young and Lorien Birch, 3^rd Year Biosciences students at UoN, are enjoying working with Y5 pupils at their local school:

“We have been working with the Year 5 children to imagine a greener future which has been both inspiring and insightful. We conducted an initial ‘Imagination Workshop’, hearing the children’s incredibly imaginative ideas, positivity and environmental proactivity. We are looking forward to actioning some of the ideas from the session, including building bird feeders and bird boxes, planting more flowers to attract pollinators and ultimately looking ahead to longer-term goals of renewable energy sources for the school. Their creativity and enthusiasm in our imagination workshop is shaping the foundation of the school’s climate action plan, and we’re excited to continue working alongside them to create real, lasting change.”

Climate and Nature Action in Education Event for educators, hosted by University of Nottingham, 2024.

In the wider region, Climate Ambassadors are working with Trusts and Partnerships on this journey, linking up with other organisations that work in this space. This is a great opportunity for personal development, as Katie Parsons, Research Fellow at Loughborough University, explains:

“The programme has also helped us engage with brilliant initiatives like the National Education Nature Park. Collaboration is key to addressing the climate crisis, and this scheme enables just that—helping schools take meaningful steps towards a more sustainable future.”

Whether it’s through mentoring, workshops, or simply sharing expertise, Climate Ambassadors are helping to embed sustainability into the heart of education – and here in the East Midlands, the movement is growing stronger every day. If you would like to be a part of the movement, find out more by visiting the website or emailing your Regional Hub Manager: ca-eastmids@nottingham.ac.uk.

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Christmas can be a time of joy, love, and celebration, but it can also lead to overconsumption and unnecessary waste. The good news is, you don’t have to sacrifice festive fun to be sustainable! There are countless ways to lower your carbon footprint without dimming the holiday cheer. Let’s take action now and make this Christmas greener than ever! 

Memories that last forever 

If you feel like Christmas is incomplete without gift-giving, why not gift your loved ones an experience rather than material items? Consider concert or theatre tickets, a relaxing spa day, or a luxurious dinner treat.  These experiences not only generate less waste but also create lasting memories that will be cherished far beyond the holiday season. Check out more ideas for gifting experiences here.

Green (or red and gold) wrapping 

If you’re a still giving physical presents, try wrapping them in fabric instead of traditional wrapping paper. Though often claimed as recyclable, many wrapping papers contain glitter, foil, or plastic, making them difficult to recycle. Whilst you’re at it, ditch the sticky tape in favour of string or paper folding techniques. Reusable cloth wraps are a sustainable and stylish alternative that can be used countless times.  

A Christmas card they’ll always have  

Whilst traditional Christmas cards might be going out of fashion, you can still send a heartfelt message in a more eco-friendly way. Consider creating an e-card that can be stored digitally and read anytime, anywhere. There are plenty of templates available online, or you can make a personalized one on platforms like carrd. An e-card eliminates waste and ensures your kind words will never get lost or worn out.

A green Christmas tree 

While artificial Christmas trees aren’t always the most sustainable option, if you already own one, it’s best to reuse it for as many years as possible. If you’re thinking of buying a real tree, opt for a locally-sourced one to reduce the carbon footprint associated with transportation. You can even get creative and make your own tree with items you already own, e.g. using books, which adds a unique touch to your home whilst being completely sustainable.  

Switch Off! 

Mind your energy consumption this season by turning off Christmas lights when they’re not in use. Being mindful of when you light up your tree not only saves energy but also cuts down on electricity bills. 

Handmade and locally-sourced decorations 

While cheap, mass-produced Christmas decorations can look good, they’re often made of low-quality materials that don’t last. Try supporting small businesses or shop locally for your decorations. You and your family or housemates can even get crafty by creating your own decor using dried fruits, clay, and leaves. Watch this video to learn how to make your very own eco-friendly Christmas decorations.  

Celebrating a greener Christmas doesn’t have to be hard. Even small elf steps can help reduce your otherwise big elf footprints. By incorporating these sustainable practices into your holiday celebrations, you’ll create tradition that benefits the planet and future generations.

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Beginning in November 2023, Alex Cummins started a 9-month secondment in UoN’s Sustainability Team with a project to “Build a sustainable workforce.” The role was to create a package of training resources on environmental sustainability for all university staff to engraining sustainability into our university community.

Building a sustainable culture

The main assignment was to create a short, introductory, online training module. Working alongside the Learning and Development Team, we decided it would be more impactful to create values-based training rather than something simply filled with facts. When it comes to the climate crisis and sustainability, it’s important and much more effective to connect with people’s values and experiences. Through many, many redrafts, edits and updates, we created a short, interactive training unlike any other on offer at the university. The resulting 30-minute Introduction to Environmental Sustainability training module takes ‘players’ through a day-in-the-life of a university staff member, facing decisions they may make in the real world, all with environmental consequences.

Carbon Literacy Training (CLT) is an established 8-hour training course about the impact of increasing carbon and other greenhouse gases (GHG) into the atmosphere, and the available solutions.  To begin making our staff carbon literate, we recruited colleagues from Nottingham Trent University to run a great CLT session with staff from across UoN. We now have around 20 Carbon Literate staff members, some of whom intend to become facilitators themselves. It’s early days but it was encouraging to see how engaged and energised everyone was during and following the training.

Within the Estates and Facilities department, new staff undergo in-person sustainability training as part of their induction.  I reworked this to include more details about the climate crisis, its causes and consequences alongside the information about sustainability at the university. The training is delivered monthly to small groups of up to 25 people. I always found these sessions rewarding using my knowledge to communicate emotive and sometimes complex concepts to a range of audiences. There would occasionally be challenging questions, but I enjoyed engaging in conversation to discuss the topics further. I genuinely believe that with greater knowledge of how our actions are negatively impacting our planet and way of life, people will make more conscious choices.

The breadth of sustainable opportunities

Attending fairs and events

I found myself at many different events, talking to staff and students from all over about the climate crisis and how we can help our environment. I filmed and edited videos and created marketing materials. I became a Carbon Literacy facilitator and a Climate Fresk facilitator.

I helped monitor hedgehogs and got messy helping clear the Memorial Woodland. I discussed climate anxiety and found out about Edible Campus. I was able to get to know our campus so much better.

What’s interesting though, is that I didn’t need to be within the Sustainability Team to do any of these things. Anyone at the university can get involved.

Summary

Very proud of our second place for the Sustainability Team at the staff sports day. Best dressed winners without question.

One of my greatest takeaways from my time on the Sustainability Team was how a surprisingly small group of people are working tirelessly, against the tide, to make things better. The range of responsibilities the team faces, including carbon management, waste, data reporting, biodiversity, engagement, transport and building management systems, are each massive areas. They’re complex and complicated, everyone in the team needs to care otherwise they would not work so hard. What needs to happen is that everyone across our entire university community needs to care too. Pay attention to what you do, buy, teach or how you travel at work. Take responsibility for your impact and actions. Work with sustainability in mind because ultimately you will need to eventually, and the sooner you adapt to easier it will be for all. Especially the champions within the Sustainability Team.

I am inspired to continue learning and growing in my sustainability journey following my time with the team. I am sure that this is the future of my career, I just hope I find a team as fun and dedicated as this one again.

Alex Cummins

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